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How To Die Famous
From award-winning author Benjamin Dean comes a deliciously dark and addictive YA thriller following the lives of Gen Z’s rich and famous through the lens of an undercover teen journalist. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying.
'A tense, page-turning YA showbiz thriller' The Guardian
'This [book] has "Netflix adaptation" written all over it.' The Bookseller
London-born Abel has landed the role of a lifetime for an upcoming blockbuster. On the face of it he’s Hollywood’s latest teen star, but below the surface he’s an undercover journalist on a mission to expose the ‘squeaky clean’ entertainment industry and the part they played in his brother’s ‘accidental’ death.
As Abel steps into the spotlight alongside fellow actors Lucky, Ryan and Ella, he soon discovers that beneath the glittering surface of fame and riches lies a darker world of secrecy, scandal and murder. Nobody is who they seem when the cameras are off, and everybody has something to hide. But who’s next in line to die famous?
Drawing on his previous career as a celebrity journalist, Benjamin Dean examines the dark underbelly of showbiz, leaving no stone unturned.
PRAISE FOR BENJAMIN DEAN’S THE KING IS DEAD:
‘Benjamin Dean has written a royal triumph.’ Juno Dawson, author of Clean
‘All hail this exquisitely twisty, delightfully queer mystery.’ Chelsea Pitcher, author of This Lie Will Kill You
‘A compelling thriller that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.’ Kathryn Foxfield, author of Good Girls Die First
‘More jaw-dropping, OMG-twists than even the most salacious tabloid journalist could create.’ Erik J. Brown, author of All That's Left in the World
‘One page-burning scandal after another. Benjamin Dean is YA royalty.’ Femi Fadugba, author of The Upper World
‘Addictive, compelling, and utterly delicious.’ Simon James Green, author of Noah Can’t Even
'A tense, page-turning YA showbiz thriller' The Guardian
'This [book] has "Netflix adaptation" written all over it.' The Bookseller
London-born Abel has landed the role of a lifetime for an upcoming blockbuster. On the face of it he’s Hollywood’s latest teen star, but below the surface he’s an undercover journalist on a mission to expose the ‘squeaky clean’ entertainment industry and the part they played in his brother’s ‘accidental’ death.
As Abel steps into the spotlight alongside fellow actors Lucky, Ryan and Ella, he soon discovers that beneath the glittering surface of fame and riches lies a darker world of secrecy, scandal and murder. Nobody is who they seem when the cameras are off, and everybody has something to hide. But who’s next in line to die famous?
Drawing on his previous career as a celebrity journalist, Benjamin Dean examines the dark underbelly of showbiz, leaving no stone unturned.
PRAISE FOR BENJAMIN DEAN’S THE KING IS DEAD:
‘Benjamin Dean has written a royal triumph.’ Juno Dawson, author of Clean
‘All hail this exquisitely twisty, delightfully queer mystery.’ Chelsea Pitcher, author of This Lie Will Kill You
‘A compelling thriller that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.’ Kathryn Foxfield, author of Good Girls Die First
‘More jaw-dropping, OMG-twists than even the most salacious tabloid journalist could create.’ Erik J. Brown, author of All That's Left in the World
‘One page-burning scandal after another. Benjamin Dean is YA royalty.’ Femi Fadugba, author of The Upper World
‘Addictive, compelling, and utterly delicious.’ Simon James Green, author of Noah Can’t Even
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2023
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July 19, 2023if you were in the trenches of stan twitter in 2016… you will love this
August 12, 2023
reading it. I flew through it within a few hours because I found myself absolutely glued to the pages and just couldn’t put it down. There were a few moments where I thought I might be able to stop for a beat, but nope, a twist was thrown in and I was once again glued to the book right up until it’s conclusion, that epilogue had me sitting in a stunned silence for a hot minute.
This book touched on some topics that I find fascinating, especially how damaging social media and living an “electronic life” can be. I think we could all spend less times on our devices and live life in the moment, and more importantly, for the moment. Not just living for content to post online.
I’d love to see this one turned into a TV show or movie. I think it would be absolutely incredible to see it brought to life on the big screen.
Thank you to Ellen at Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of this one.
This book touched on some topics that I find fascinating, especially how damaging social media and living an “electronic life” can be. I think we could all spend less times on our devices and live life in the moment, and more importantly, for the moment. Not just living for content to post online.
I’d love to see this one turned into a TV show or movie. I think it would be absolutely incredible to see it brought to life on the big screen.
Thank you to Ellen at Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of this one.
November 12, 2023
The end of this book is just nonsense and the last chapter is beyond unsatisfying. Couldn't put it down though.
July 29, 2023
I heard so much hype about this book so had such high hopes.
However I just couldn't get into it.
Found the pacing to be really slow. There was a lot of characters that I struggled to keep on top of.
The plot just didn't seem to go anywhere for a long time.
Did not enjoy this!
However I just couldn't get into it.
Found the pacing to be really slow. There was a lot of characters that I struggled to keep on top of.
The plot just didn't seem to go anywhere for a long time.
Did not enjoy this!
July 20, 2023
How To Die Famous is a multi point of view book centred around the Gen Z cast of Sunset High. Omni Channel’s flagship show has suffered in past seasons from an ominous “curse”. A star mysteriously disappeared, a cast member fell to his death from the roof… are any of them safe?
Someone on set is determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened, but will they succeed?
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this, especially the epilogue! I didn’t see that coming AT ALL!
Believable Hollywood drama, glitz and glam with a sprinkling of queer romance and teen troubles.
A fun young adult read, but if you’re used to your thrillers a little more fast paced, this might be a little slow for you.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.
Someone on set is determined to get to the bottom of what’s happened, but will they succeed?
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this, especially the epilogue! I didn’t see that coming AT ALL!
Believable Hollywood drama, glitz and glam with a sprinkling of queer romance and teen troubles.
A fun young adult read, but if you’re used to your thrillers a little more fast paced, this might be a little slow for you.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.
August 23, 2025
I think this book just wasn’t for me…but I can see how others would like it! For one, the plot just isn’t that interesting. It looks more at the horrible reality of celebrities than it does an interesting murder plot lol. Which is fine ofc but the way the blurb sounded I thought it was supposed to be a twisty thriller…I knew from the very beginning what would happen lol. And second, the four main characters are gay, which is not my personal taste. Overall I think this book is mid!
October 21, 2024
The end - absolutely delicate and thrilling. I loved it! Is there a part two though? I really want to know more about the Hope-Natalie-situation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2023
fun queer ya thriller! its an enjoyable quick read overall and im always down for a good book abt the entertainment industry. however, there are too many different povs for my taste, which makes it hard to connect with all of the main characters and i often forgot whose pov im currently reading from. that was worsened by the first person narration. i think in some ways, the first person narration made twists a little less predictable in a way, but i think they wouldve still worked in third person and i personally think it wouldve made more sense for the book. and despite the efforts, the twists were still very predictable and it wasnt as suspenseful as i had hoped or thought it would be.
September 9, 2025
Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars.
Sunset High is a show produced by the Omni Channel and infamous for all the wrong reasons. The off-screen relationships between the stars make headlines even when filming pauses and are only overtaken by the tragedies that occur on set. Now a new star joins their ranks, but he is here for more than fame and glory. He is here for truth.
This had an interesting concept and was initially super engaging, but I wanted more focus on the show being filmed, and which the story centred around, as well as to understand the characters themselves better. I felt I knew about their drama but not who they were really beyond that. There was also a lot of set up about the show but then scant scenes including them actually filming, beyond that. This was full of twists I did not see coming and I did find the bones of the mysteries dark and intriguing, but this failed to grip me overall.
Sunset High is a show produced by the Omni Channel and infamous for all the wrong reasons. The off-screen relationships between the stars make headlines even when filming pauses and are only overtaken by the tragedies that occur on set. Now a new star joins their ranks, but he is here for more than fame and glory. He is here for truth.
This had an interesting concept and was initially super engaging, but I wanted more focus on the show being filmed, and which the story centred around, as well as to understand the characters themselves better. I felt I knew about their drama but not who they were really beyond that. There was also a lot of set up about the show but then scant scenes including them actually filming, beyond that. This was full of twists I did not see coming and I did find the bones of the mysteries dark and intriguing, but this failed to grip me overall.
July 24, 2023
How to Die Famous is a book that examines the dark underbelly of Hollywood, showing just how seriously people in power take the desire to come out on top.
A gripping page-turner that I can see being made into a movie before long. It ticks every box, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review it before publication.
Abel Miller is the new face in an upcoming blockbuster. As a Brit joining a celebrated American teen show he could be forgiven for being nervous, but Abel has more reason than most to fear discovery. As an undercover journalist, Abel is trying to track down exactly what happened to his brother years earlier. Of course we’re desperate to find out what happened, and whether Abel will evade discovery.
From the moment we’re introduced to the cast of characters at the heart of the show, it’s clear that there’s a lot riding on this. We have the history of the show’s cursed predecessor and there’s clearly a story to be learnt. What we quickly see is that there’s more than one story to be uncovered, and there are no depths to which those who have most to lose will stoop to in order to stay on top.
A great cast of characters, a wonderfully exaggerated villain and sidekick, a number of secondary characters who offered something more than you might expect…and an absolutely audacious ending that hints we might see more of this cast.
Fantastic read, and I can’t wait to get this in the hands of some readers at school.
A gripping page-turner that I can see being made into a movie before long. It ticks every box, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review it before publication.
Abel Miller is the new face in an upcoming blockbuster. As a Brit joining a celebrated American teen show he could be forgiven for being nervous, but Abel has more reason than most to fear discovery. As an undercover journalist, Abel is trying to track down exactly what happened to his brother years earlier. Of course we’re desperate to find out what happened, and whether Abel will evade discovery.
From the moment we’re introduced to the cast of characters at the heart of the show, it’s clear that there’s a lot riding on this. We have the history of the show’s cursed predecessor and there’s clearly a story to be learnt. What we quickly see is that there’s more than one story to be uncovered, and there are no depths to which those who have most to lose will stoop to in order to stay on top.
A great cast of characters, a wonderfully exaggerated villain and sidekick, a number of secondary characters who offered something more than you might expect…and an absolutely audacious ending that hints we might see more of this cast.
Fantastic read, and I can’t wait to get this in the hands of some readers at school.
July 7, 2023
A second reboot of a show that is reportedly cursed finds four actors hiding secrets. The protagonist is purportedly Abel, a London actor, who has signed on to the project with an ulterior motive - to find out what happened to his brother, who was part of the first reboot and died mysteriously. I found though that while Abel had the most chapters proportionally, the other three actors also had chapters in their perspectives. I’m not sure I found these as effective, especially since Abel was the only one really investigating. I also found this more about the dark side of Hollywood more than a thriller. I was missing the suspense and twists I wanted from a thriller. Because of this, it often felt slow, especially if it wasn’t Abel, or maybe Ryan’s, chapter. It had promise, but for me, it didn’t deliver.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2025
I eventually DNFed this book after struggling through the first 150 pages for a while. I struggled with it as for me there wasn’t a gripping plot and it was a bit all over the place and just a few young people saying how much they hate the place where they work. All not really a thriller like it was said to be. Skipped ahead to the end and sound it has a very unsatisfactory ending.
July 27, 2023
Another page turning YA thriller from Benjamin Dean! I really enjoyed the setting of this one and loved the bond between the 4 main characters. The audiobook was great as they had 4 narrators for the 4 main characters perspectives! Also had a podcast element within the book which was a fun touch!
April 27, 2024
It’s a fun read, but it was a bit too predictable
February 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ Spoilers ahead
I sat down and read this in two sittings. bro, it feels like I just ran a marathon I want to hibernate 😭 I was super pumped for this book, and I'm not disappointed, just mildly.. underwhelmed. This book had promise. And so much more potential.
things i liked about the book:
--> The romance! I don't know why this book isn't shelved under romance, there's quite a bit of it. Lucky and Abel were adorable, I'm not a fan of the way things ended between them though, it felt too open-ended and I wish there was more closure. I liked Ella and Ryan, although sometimes I wasn't sure how much of what they were doing/saying was real and how much was just for the cameras. They also seemed to fight A LOT. And then never resolve it. They'd kinda just.. kiss and make up. Very cute though.
--> The characters !! I haven't read a book in which I've found myself genuinely liking the characters in a while. Every single character in this book (well, almost) is easy to empathize with. Especially the way it was written, (whilst slightly amateurish at times IN MY OPINION!) made them very easy to connect with. It made me feel like they were in the room with me. I found myself genuinely caring about what would happen to them, if they would be okay and I was rooting for all four of them to get the happy ending that they deserved.
--> The general atmosphere of the book was great. I wish there was a little bit more about their lives on set, and how that went, but otherwise I loved the way everything was described.
Things I liked a lot... less. about the book.
--> The ending? It was a cliffhanger, but one of those cliffhangers where you're confused as to whether there'll be a sequel or it's just an 'Omg that'll make them mad' kind of cliffhanger. I'm leaning more towards the latter, as I can't imagine a plot for the second book. They leak the news of Lucky staging his death? What then? I don't know. I just think that the ending should have been altered - all that stuff about Holly seemed unnecessary to me.
--> THE PROLOGUE. Whilst I'm not complaining about how the story panned out, I generally enjoyed it, the prologue felt like such a catfish 😭 I was hoping that someone would die and it would be more of a MYSTERY than it was. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I kind of saw the whole 'Lake pushing Adam' thing from a mile away. It seemed like the ONLY reasonable explanation- he had just texted Abel about knowing something was going on with Omni. Literally, who else would it have been? The whole concept of Lucky staging his death, that whole plan, was cool and it worked. The prologue, however, sends an entirely different message.
--> This isn't a like or dislike, It just occurred to me. Lake had to have known who Abel was when he cast him, because of what he did to Abel's brother. So I guess I'll be left wondering if Lake was planning to hurt Abel. Because, again, Abel knew something thanks to his brother's text.
--> The pop culture references uuuuuuuugh. I knew what I was signing up for - it's about a reality show set in 2023 so I have no grounds to complain about this. But seriously, thirty pages in and it felt like every celebrity under the sun had been mentioned. And I had my head in my hands the second someone mentioned the word 'Gen-z.' I promise we are not all phone-addicted zombies. we are keeping up with the journalists of the times. iykyk.
I overall enjoyed this book. I was also really pumped for it because YA mysteries with queer romances are hard to find. I love the author and will be reading more of his books. I just wish it was a little.. more. I can't pinpoint what exactly, but it just felt like an element was missing.
I sat down and read this in two sittings. bro, it feels like I just ran a marathon I want to hibernate 😭 I was super pumped for this book, and I'm not disappointed, just mildly.. underwhelmed. This book had promise. And so much more potential.
things i liked about the book:
--> The romance! I don't know why this book isn't shelved under romance, there's quite a bit of it. Lucky and Abel were adorable, I'm not a fan of the way things ended between them though, it felt too open-ended and I wish there was more closure. I liked Ella and Ryan, although sometimes I wasn't sure how much of what they were doing/saying was real and how much was just for the cameras. They also seemed to fight A LOT. And then never resolve it. They'd kinda just.. kiss and make up. Very cute though.
--> The characters !! I haven't read a book in which I've found myself genuinely liking the characters in a while. Every single character in this book (well, almost) is easy to empathize with. Especially the way it was written, (whilst slightly amateurish at times IN MY OPINION!) made them very easy to connect with. It made me feel like they were in the room with me. I found myself genuinely caring about what would happen to them, if they would be okay and I was rooting for all four of them to get the happy ending that they deserved.
--> The general atmosphere of the book was great. I wish there was a little bit more about their lives on set, and how that went, but otherwise I loved the way everything was described.
Things I liked a lot... less. about the book.
--> The ending? It was a cliffhanger, but one of those cliffhangers where you're confused as to whether there'll be a sequel or it's just an 'Omg that'll make them mad' kind of cliffhanger. I'm leaning more towards the latter, as I can't imagine a plot for the second book. They leak the news of Lucky staging his death? What then? I don't know. I just think that the ending should have been altered - all that stuff about Holly seemed unnecessary to me.
--> THE PROLOGUE. Whilst I'm not complaining about how the story panned out, I generally enjoyed it, the prologue felt like such a catfish 😭 I was hoping that someone would die and it would be more of a MYSTERY than it was. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I kind of saw the whole 'Lake pushing Adam' thing from a mile away. It seemed like the ONLY reasonable explanation- he had just texted Abel about knowing something was going on with Omni. Literally, who else would it have been? The whole concept of Lucky staging his death, that whole plan, was cool and it worked. The prologue, however, sends an entirely different message.
--> This isn't a like or dislike, It just occurred to me. Lake had to have known who Abel was when he cast him, because of what he did to Abel's brother. So I guess I'll be left wondering if Lake was planning to hurt Abel. Because, again, Abel knew something thanks to his brother's text.
--> The pop culture references uuuuuuuugh. I knew what I was signing up for - it's about a reality show set in 2023 so I have no grounds to complain about this. But seriously, thirty pages in and it felt like every celebrity under the sun had been mentioned. And I had my head in my hands the second someone mentioned the word 'Gen-z.' I promise we are not all phone-addicted zombies. we are keeping up with the journalists of the times. iykyk.
I overall enjoyed this book. I was also really pumped for it because YA mysteries with queer romances are hard to find. I love the author and will be reading more of his books. I just wish it was a little.. more. I can't pinpoint what exactly, but it just felt like an element was missing.
November 3, 2023
1.5 stars rounded up
I'm finishing so many books I'd usually never finish only bc of audiobooks. Shoutout to the three month discount I got on bookbeat.
The audiobook got annoying because of the multiple narrators mimicking eachothers accents and doing so horribly. It was also very "how do you do, fellow kids?" at times, saying fuNnY TeEn OnELinErS.
It's just something I can only recommend to kids from 12-14. I don't hate this book but I can't give it a full two stars either. It was also exactly what I thought it would be when I started the listen, so it's unfair to be too harsh.
Honestly I just think I should stop listening to YA crime. But. It's so easy to listen to while also not caring.
My reviews just keep getting longer now that I'm doing them in English 😭😭
I'm finishing so many books I'd usually never finish only bc of audiobooks. Shoutout to the three month discount I got on bookbeat.
The audiobook got annoying because of the multiple narrators mimicking eachothers accents and doing so horribly. It was also very "how do you do, fellow kids?" at times, saying fuNnY TeEn OnELinErS.
It's just something I can only recommend to kids from 12-14. I don't hate this book but I can't give it a full two stars either. It was also exactly what I thought it would be when I started the listen, so it's unfair to be too harsh.
Honestly I just think I should stop listening to YA crime. But. It's so easy to listen to while also not caring.
My reviews just keep getting longer now that I'm doing them in English 😭😭
December 31, 2023
okay so: idea? amazing. the first 200 pages? meh. the end? amazing.
i felt like the introduction was too long and a bit confusing (might just be me tho) and it kind of got boring (which is why it took me so long to read it) but then when things started to unravel and they made the plan it was actually really good and i finished it really fast. wish we could’ve seen a bit more of that. i liked the characters a lot, they were all real and the multiple pov helped to relate to all of them. all in all it was really cool and it was so interesting to kinda see the bts of this industry.
i felt like the introduction was too long and a bit confusing (might just be me tho) and it kind of got boring (which is why it took me so long to read it) but then when things started to unravel and they made the plan it was actually really good and i finished it really fast. wish we could’ve seen a bit more of that. i liked the characters a lot, they were all real and the multiple pov helped to relate to all of them. all in all it was really cool and it was so interesting to kinda see the bts of this industry.
August 19, 2023
Dnf at 65%.
Listened on audio which was terrible, I couldn't deal with the fake accents people were using to narrate each others conversations. They were sooo bad I couldn't focus on anything else, which didn't matter much considering how boring and slow this book is. I was around 2/3rds of the way through and literally nothing had happened 😴
Listened on audio which was terrible, I couldn't deal with the fake accents people were using to narrate each others conversations. They were sooo bad I couldn't focus on anything else, which didn't matter much considering how boring and slow this book is. I was around 2/3rds of the way through and literally nothing had happened 😴
February 16, 2024
Honestly this book was lame, the relationships in the novel were weird and forced, it was not thrilling and it was definitely not what was advertised. I hated the end especially the epilogue. The book also made a point to say the characters were in danger multiple times but I never actually felt like they were in any danger.
not a good thriller
not a good thriller
November 1, 2023
3,5⭐️
Not bad, I just had higher hopes and the writing was a bit difficult to get into at the beginning
Not bad, I just had higher hopes and the writing was a bit difficult to get into at the beginning
May 7, 2024
Awful, sorry, but i didnt like the characters or the descriptions. I would not recommend it at all
☕️cosy reviews ☕️
☕️cosy reviews ☕️
February 23, 2024
Mycket som hände samtidigt, lite twists här o där, så ja bra
August 23, 2023
Literall chills down my spine. This book was amazing.
READ THIS BOOK. OR YOU WILL BE NEXT!! (joking but iykyk)
READ THIS BOOK. OR YOU WILL BE NEXT!! (joking but iykyk)
August 20, 2023
4.5 Stars Rounded Up
This was well written, fun, and the mystery wasn't obvious.
Well done!
This was well written, fun, and the mystery wasn't obvious.
Well done!
July 5, 2023
How to Die Famous is a YA thriller that follows that lives of modern day young movie stars, and the dark side of fame in a 24/7 social media world.
A lot of the experiences of the young stars felt authentic; the judgment, harrassment and pressure they were under. The difference in experiences based on race, sexuality and gender, the need to live up to expectations, the people in power turning from supportive to manipulative, all that was interesting and felt very real. Whilst I found these 'behind the scenes of fame' parts interesting, the rest of it just didn't thrill me. The mystery/murder aspects of the plot often felt unbelievable to me, and I didn't buy the ending. I do seem to be in the minority in this, looking at other reviews, so clearly there is a lot to love if you get hooked into the drama of it all.
This is a pacy, fun read, recommended for fans of YA thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
A lot of the experiences of the young stars felt authentic; the judgment, harrassment and pressure they were under. The difference in experiences based on race, sexuality and gender, the need to live up to expectations, the people in power turning from supportive to manipulative, all that was interesting and felt very real. Whilst I found these 'behind the scenes of fame' parts interesting, the rest of it just didn't thrill me. The mystery/murder aspects of the plot often felt unbelievable to me, and I didn't buy the ending. I do seem to be in the minority in this, looking at other reviews, so clearly there is a lot to love if you get hooked into the drama of it all.
This is a pacy, fun read, recommended for fans of YA thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 11, 2023
i’m so happy i got the signed copy because oh my god this book is amazing.
my suggestion is to go into this blind. really the blur on the back doesn’t give too much away which is perfect. everything that happened was a surprise to me in one way or another.
this is definitely a perfect ya book / mystery / teeny bit of romance.
i absolutely adored the multiple pov’s so you could get insight in every individual character.
the book shows the possible dark side of the media / management and acting careers. it teaches ya in a “fun” way that everything you see online is some sort of scheduled.
all in all the book holds a great message and i had a fantastic time reading it!
will there be a second one??
„I hop off the plane at LAX […]. No dream and a cardigan here.“ if this isn’t reason enough for you to read it idk what’s wrong
my suggestion is to go into this blind. really the blur on the back doesn’t give too much away which is perfect. everything that happened was a surprise to me in one way or another.
this is definitely a perfect ya book / mystery / teeny bit of romance.
i absolutely adored the multiple pov’s so you could get insight in every individual character.
the book shows the possible dark side of the media / management and acting careers. it teaches ya in a “fun” way that everything you see online is some sort of scheduled.
all in all the book holds a great message and i had a fantastic time reading it!
will there be a second one??
„I hop off the plane at LAX […]. No dream and a cardigan here.“ if this isn’t reason enough for you to read it idk what’s wrong
October 26, 2023
I was absolutely glued to this book! I loved every moment of it, on one side it’s a quick easy read but on the other there’s so much going on - in addition to so much tension and suspension that you have no choice but wanting to flip the page to see what will happen next! This book really explores the damaging life that fame and growing up under the spotlight can have on someone as well as the toxic life in Hollywood. This book may seem like it’s just a murder mystery at first but there is so much more. There’s multiple POVs (which usually for me is a struggle but here I loved !!) filled with inner monologues that help you connect to each character so much more.
June 2, 2023
How To Die Famous is a book you will read in one sitting. It's deliciously scandalous. It keeps you on your toes and is a wild and unpredictable ride behind the scenes of the celebrity world we all love to read about. Benjamin Dean draws on his knowledge from his time as a celebrity journalist to create a jaw-dropping and addictive read.
June 15, 2024
A fun and wild YA thriller!
Abel’s brother recently died and he blames Omni Channel for his death. What better way to find out what’s going on with the world’s biggest network than to infiltrate it. Over night, Abel becomes famous as his role on Sunset High is announced. Joining him are Lucky, Ella and Ryan. Lucky’s been a mess since his mom passed. Ella is being thrust into the spotlight, but not sure if she wants to be there or if it’s really her overbearing mother’s dream. Ryan has a stalker who keeps escalating. On top of that, the show is said to be cursed. Each young actor has their own issues to deal with, but Omni channel is at the forefront of all of them and coming together might be the only thing that saves them all.
This is basically a dramatized reenactment of Disney channel or Nickelodeon and the exploited young actors. I didn’t mind that though as sometimes the best stories are practically ripped from the headlines. This one just had a thriller esque undertone.
This story had a lot of layers and different sub stories going on, however it wasn’t terribly hard to follow. It was fast paced and intriguing. The ending left some to be desired, but my guess is there will be another and I’ll be reading it!
Abel’s brother recently died and he blames Omni Channel for his death. What better way to find out what’s going on with the world’s biggest network than to infiltrate it. Over night, Abel becomes famous as his role on Sunset High is announced. Joining him are Lucky, Ella and Ryan. Lucky’s been a mess since his mom passed. Ella is being thrust into the spotlight, but not sure if she wants to be there or if it’s really her overbearing mother’s dream. Ryan has a stalker who keeps escalating. On top of that, the show is said to be cursed. Each young actor has their own issues to deal with, but Omni channel is at the forefront of all of them and coming together might be the only thing that saves them all.
This is basically a dramatized reenactment of Disney channel or Nickelodeon and the exploited young actors. I didn’t mind that though as sometimes the best stories are practically ripped from the headlines. This one just had a thriller esque undertone.
This story had a lot of layers and different sub stories going on, however it wasn’t terribly hard to follow. It was fast paced and intriguing. The ending left some to be desired, but my guess is there will be another and I’ll be reading it!
May 20, 2024
3.5/5. Enjoyed this one!
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I enjoyed How to Die Famous, which is the first book I’ve read by Benjamin Dean. It reminded me of shows like Gossip Girl and 90210, if they were set around a blockbuster franchise and featured a bit more peril and murder.
The writing was really addictive and the characters all stood out through the different POV chapters, never merging or sounding too similar, which I find can happen sometimes. Their friendships and relationships seemed authentic and realistic, and I was rooting for them all.
I liked the murder mystery aspect of this book, particularly the flashbacks that gave more insight into the past and what exactly had transpired. Centring the main plot around a group of actors on set allowed for so much drama and escapism, not to mention all the salacious gossip the tabloids inevitably concoct. It was a great insight into the world of showbiz and entertainment, and the darker parts of it that go on behind the scenes.
How to Die Famous was a surprising read for me, and I’m really glad I gave it a go. I’m sure it’ll appeal to anyone who likes books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One Of Us Is Lying, and I’m already looking forward to picking up more titles from Benjamin Dean.
3.5/5.
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I enjoyed How to Die Famous, which is the first book I’ve read by Benjamin Dean. It reminded me of shows like Gossip Girl and 90210, if they were set around a blockbuster franchise and featured a bit more peril and murder.
The writing was really addictive and the characters all stood out through the different POV chapters, never merging or sounding too similar, which I find can happen sometimes. Their friendships and relationships seemed authentic and realistic, and I was rooting for them all.
I liked the murder mystery aspect of this book, particularly the flashbacks that gave more insight into the past and what exactly had transpired. Centring the main plot around a group of actors on set allowed for so much drama and escapism, not to mention all the salacious gossip the tabloids inevitably concoct. It was a great insight into the world of showbiz and entertainment, and the darker parts of it that go on behind the scenes.
How to Die Famous was a surprising read for me, and I’m really glad I gave it a go. I’m sure it’ll appeal to anyone who likes books similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One Of Us Is Lying, and I’m already looking forward to picking up more titles from Benjamin Dean.
3.5/5.
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